Scenes From the Future
by Quixque
Summary: Teaser scene for a story I'm working on.  Naruto is known for random bursts of genius in combat.  A couple of these bursts occurring during the Mizuki incident lead to profound changes for our favorite blonde and those he holds precious.
1. Chapter 1

With a disdainful snort from Sasuke, "We ask for help and Konoha sends the dobe. Do they want all of us to die on this mission?" He slowly looks towards Naruto with a glare, "You may be useful as fodder like the other two, but you shouldn't be near this mission. How did you even graduate, anyway?"

Naruto matches Sasuke's glare with one of his own, "Look teme, whether you like it or not, Hokage-jiji sent us here to help Kakashi-san with the mission. If you don't like me, fine, but don't insult your teammates like that."

Turning his back on Sasuke, all anger drains from Naruto's face, to be replaced with a small frown and a look of concern as he approaches Sakura. "Are you OK, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura's face turns bright red and her eyes squint before yelling, "NA-RU-TO!" and slamming her fist on the top of his head. Naruto cringes as Sakura continues to berate him, "Don't talk to Sasuke-kun like that! He's twice the ninja you'll ever be."

Sakura's eyes glaze over in adoration as she stares at her crush. "If it wasn't for Sasuke-kun, we would all be dead. He saved me and Kakashi-sensei from that monster, Zabuza." Suddenly her expression shifts to disdain as Sakura demands, "Now answer Sasuke-kun's question! How are you a ninja? You were the worst in class and there is no way you passed the exam."

"That doesn't give him the right to talk about you like that!" Naruto argues back as he rubs the top of his head. "And stop hitting me, Sakura-chan. I'm gonna check with Kotetsu-sempai and see what he wants me to do." Having said everything he intended to, Naruto heads upstairs mumbling under his breath.

Sakura screams after Naruto as he walks away, "Hey! Don't ignore me when I'm talking to you! Get back here and answer me!"

As a vein rapidly pulses above his temple, Sasuke places his right hand on Sakura's shoulder halting her tirade immediately. "Shut up and let him go. He's not worth arguing with."

As Naruto turns the corner at the top of the stairs, he sees Kotetsu waiting for him leaning against the frame of an open doorway. "Kid, whatever you see in that girl, I'll never know." Not really expecting a reply, Kotetsu jerks his head towards the room and walks in.

Naruto looks at the floor and sighs, speaking quietly as he walks into the room, "She wasn't always like that. She used to be real nice. Besides, she needs someone to be nice to her, what with the way the teme acts all the time. I mean, kami, all the girls throw themselves at him and he doesn't even care. I think he's gay. I mean, he's got to be, right?" Lifting his head and glancing around the room he notices Kotetsu and Kakashi staring at him with jaws slightly dropped while Komatsu is apparently asleep.

With everyone distracted, Naruto looks around the room for any means of escape. He could clearly see the two futons currently in use, a small closet with additional futons and beddings, a tall chest of drawers and one window. Unfortunately, Kakshi's futon was placed beneath the window leaving him nowhere to run except back the way he came, pass Kotetsu.

Kotetsu regains his composure first and starts in on Naruto with a grin, "What was that, gaki? You actually have a reason for acting as you do about her and it _isn't_ that you like her? Just wait until Izumo hears about this. Finally some payback"

Naruto ducks his head and rubs the back of it sheepishly, "So… I said that out loud, didn't I?" After receiving two nods, Naruto pauses a little longer before continuing, "Wow! Kakashi-san, you and Komatsu look like crap! I should just let you two keep strategizing and all while I secure the perimeter. Ja ne!"

Before Naruto can make his escape back out the door, Kotetsu grabs his collar, keeping him in place. "We'll get back to that outburst later. Right now we have more important things to discuss."

Naruto stops struggling and stands up straight putting a, somewhat, serious expression on his face. "What's up? I know that you ran into someone named Zabuza earlier, but you're all here so he must be dead."

Kakashi's lone eye appraises Naruto as he talks, "As you said, we look like crap. Komatsu is poisoned and I'm sidelined from chakra exhaustion. Zabuza is a jounin missing-nin from Mizu, one of the seven swordsmen… and still alive. On the positive side, he is in worse shape than me. Zabuza's accomplice was disguised as a Kirigakure hunter-nin that placed him into a death-like state with senbon in order to save him."

Allowing Naruto a moment for that to sink in, Kakashi continues, "Kotetsu tells me that you can use henge to travel far and fast. Show me."

Without hesitation, Naruto promptly transforms into a sparrow and flies around the room before alighting on Kakashi's shoulder and chirping in his ear.

Flying next to Komatsu's bed, Naruto resumes his normal appearance, "I suppose you meant something like that." Naruto scrunches his forehead as he thinks before continuing, "Do you want me to send some clones out to scout for Zabuza?"

Though Kakashi shakes his head in the negative, he replies, "hmm… Though that is a good idea, you will likely need all of your chakra for where I'm sending you. Having seen, and _felt_, your henge, I'll trust Kotetsu on the remainder of your abilities." Kakashi pauses to take a few deep breaths before continuing, "You must get Komatsu to Konoha Hospital as quickly as possible. He's in a sharingan induced trance reducing his bodily functions, but the poison is still slowly coursing through him and damaging his muscles."

Pausing for a moment before glancing at his genin, Kakashi continues, "With the amount of time the poison has been in his body already, at best Komatsu will be placed in the injured reserves for months. At worst, he will be permanently removed from active duty." Kakashi's one-eyed gaze hardens as his eye returns to Naruto, "You _will_ get him to the hospital as fast as possible and return here."

Naruto gulps and nods his head, "I'm not exactly well liked there. Can you write me a note with the information about Komatsu to give the doctors?" Receiving a quick "hai" in response, Naruto again scrunches his face up in thought before continuing, "If you want, I can deliver any other messages or pick up supplies while I'm there, too."

Kakashi eye-smiles at Naruto as the atmosphere in the room completely changes. "Yet another good idea from you. It seems there is more to you than I've been lead to believe."

Naruto beams from the light praise, rubbing the back of his head, "Iruka-sensei said that I've caught up with the academy stuff I missed out on and have, um… exceeded… that in almost all of my physical skills, not just stealth. He thinks that my skills and knowledge are where they would have been if my birthday was like everyone else's." The last bit was spoken in a more reserved manner while looking down with his smile gone.

After that everyone settles down as Naruto sits to rest and plan his travel while Kakashi dictates messages to Kotetsu.

Shortly later Naruto's respite was ended as Kotetsu handed over two scrolls, "The green one is for the doctor and the red is for Hokage-sama. Unless Hokage-sama says otherwise, get a couple hours rest before returning."

"Hai sempai!" Naruto replied swiftly as he turned towards Komatsu and placed the two scrolls on his chest.

Before Naruto could transform, Kakashi interrupted him, "Out of curiosity, how quickly can you make it back to Konoha?"

Naruto scratched his head lightly as he made some quick guesses, "Depending on the wind I should be able to get there in three to six hours; three with a tailwind, six with a headwind. If it's calm, it should take about 4 hours."

Naruto gave the two men a lopsided grin, "Well, time to go!" He was promptly covered in a cloud of smoke as an eagle landed on Komatsu's chest. Naruto positioned himself between the two scrolls, ensuring that they touched his legs, before the room was again clouded by smoke. Two small tubes were attached to either leg and a straight stick clasped in his claws was easily seen as Naruto flew out the open window.

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><p>Tsunami was on her way upstairs to get the three conscious ninja for dinner when Kotetsu interrupted her, "Ah, Tsunami-san, what is that wonderful odor?"<p>

Slightly startled at the man's sudden appearance, Tsunami blushes before responding, "Thank you, shinobi-san. It is a common local recipe for spiced fish and rice. With the prices Gato charges for food and his thugs' destroying kitchen gardens, we've had to become skilled at working with what foodstuff we can gather from the forest."

Kotetsu politely directs Tsunami back downstairs while continuing the conversation, "Still, it smells great. I can hardly wait to dig in!"

"Shinobi-san, shouldn't you let the others know dinner is ready? I'm sure they're hungry. That young boy must be famished after you traveled here from Konoha in just one day." Tsunami stated as she attempted to continue on upstairs.

Ignoring her attempts to pass him, Kotetsu gently directed Tsunami towards the table before chuckling. "I'm sure Naruto-kun is hungry right now, but he'll just have to make do with travel rations or hunt on the move." With that, Kotetsu sat her down at the foot of the table, "Thank you for cooking for us, Tsunami-san."

Looking around the table, Kotetsu noticed the other two genin were watching him. Sasuke tried to maintain his haughty, disinterested demeanor while listening. However, Sakura wasn't even trying to cover her listening in and looked pleased with something.

"It's good that baka's gone. He would have just gotten in Sasuke's way when we fight those two again."

With an exasperated sigh Kotetsu sat down before frowning at the pinkette, "Oh, Naruto-kun can be a baka at times, but he's not gone. Kakashi-san sent him on a mission that should have him back by morning, maybe mid-afternoon at the latest."

Tsunami just kept quiet and watched the shinobi interact, hoping to keep out of the crossfire if things became unpleasant. After overhearing the genin's conversation earlier she knew that the two genin left neither liked nor respected the blonde boy.

Upon hearing the older chunin's comment, Sasuke's eyes looked towards Kotetsu and spoke with his usual distaste, "hn… What mission would Kakashi send the dobe on? It must not be anything important. Any mission the dobe does is sure to fail."

Kotetsu stared directly into the genin's eyes while releasing his killing intent, "That's Kakashi-_sensei_ to you, genin. Naruto-kun took Komatsu back to Konoha for treatment. If you feel that saving your teammate's life is an unimportant mission, then you have a lot to learn about being a Konoha ninja."

Kotetsu paused to glare at both genin while steadily increasing the killing intent directed at the two, "I can only guess at what you two have against Naruto-kun, but understand this. I've worked with him on a few missions and watched him around town. Whatever you think you know about him, you're wrong."

As if a switch was thrown, the steadily increasing pressure disappeared and Kotetsu took a bite of the meal before smiling at their host, "Wow! That is even better than it smells."

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><p><strong>A.N.:<strong> Obviously, this is set after Naruto arrives in Wave along side Kotetsu to aid team 7 with their mission. This is a teaser of my first story that I am working on. It has been many years since I last wrote fiction and I appreciate any constructive criticism. I'm afraid that years of writing accounting reports or term papers has negatively affected my imagination and creative writing skills. Truthfully, I feel more comfortable as an editor than a writer.


	2. Chapter 2

Sometimes, scenes just pop into my head that have to be written or I won't stop thinking about them. This one is from very far into the story. Hell, I hadn't even finished the first chapter yet, and this wouldn't leave me alone. To be fair for anyone that might be interested in my story, I waited until I at least had the first chapter of "Casting the Vessel" posted before uploading this scene. While I do like this brief scene right now, it will most likely change by the time I get around to writing the actual chapter, hopefully due to improved writing skills.

By the way, I have posted the first chapter of "Casting the Vessel", from which both of these scenes come. It's "teen" because I probably will not portray sex with the genin or have excessively graphic violence.

* * *

><p>As soon as the spike punctures Hinata's chest, time stands still. All sound dies away, eyes riveted to the struggling body as she falls back and stills.<p>

A piercing cry of loss and despair rips from Naruto's throat, jarring those still watching. Time restarts as an overwhelming burst of chakra erupts from Naruto, ejecting the remaining chakra rods pinning him to the ground as well as forcing Pain away, causing him to thrash around uncontrollably.

Using his tail for support, Naruto lifts himself up, making his way to Hinata. A visible aura of chakra, rapidly shifting between red, gold, blue, and purple undulates around Naruto, stretching out to his dying girlfriend.

With hot tears falling from his eyes, Naruto gently strokes Hinata's face as he holds her tightly to his chest, "I won't let you go, hime. We promised each other… If I have to drag you back from Shinigami, I'll do it. Come back to me, Hinata…"

The strength of his pulsating aura continues to rise as the colors shift faster and faster. Naruto's eyes slowly transform from slit-pupil, bright blue to yellow iris and horizontal pupil then cross-shaped pupil with a red iris until a deep purple permeates each eye, filled with four concentric orange rings. The chakra aura continues to grow and quickly shift colors until all that is visible is a bright silver radiance enveloping the two lovers.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> FYI, I plan to post my Naruto story as three, or more, separate stories. "Casting the Vessel" is first and covers from making genin to the final attack at VotE. "Filling the Vessel" will continue the story after Sasuke's defection through Naruto returning to Konoha, the Shippuden time-skip. Finally, "Sealing the Vessel" will cover Naruto's return through the end of my story.

The reason for the break at the end of "Casting" is in case I decide to write an offshoot that has a different end to the battle with Sasuke than what I plan for the three "Vessel" stories. If I do, it will be a world-jumping story spurred by the typical demon-rasengan/curse seal-chidori planar rift mechanic that many use and will land him in the world of Golarion (Pathfinder RPG).


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